‘Huckleberry Finn’: Mark Twain’s Intentions and Context

On Wednesday we looked at a new edition of Mark Twain’s “Huckleberry Finn” that will be released in February without the “n-word.” We covered the social, cultural and literary implications of the decision and got many, many responses. What was the racial and linguistic context into which Mark Twain wrote “Huckleberry Finn?” To look at the novel in historical perspective, we speak with Bob Hirst, editor of the Mark Twain Project at the University of California, Berkeley.